Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XIX.—The Great Start—Shereb Lama
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
THE GREAT START—SHEREB LAMA. 295
assured him that no Russian would accompany tliem.
During the journey to CharkhUk the Lama talked so
much about the glories of Lassa, that Shagdur was simply
dying with impatience to see it. Putting aside the visit
to tlie Holy City, tlie Lama was willing to accompany
me anywhere I chose, and duly received leave of absence
from the prior of his monastery.
Once more there was life and movement in our serai
after Shagdur arrived with his three companions ; for he
had brought two other persons with him. One of these
was our old friend Ordek, who begged and prayed that
he might accompany me to the world’s end ; the other
was Khalmet Aksakal, a Russian subject from West
Turkestan, though then living in Korla, an old man whom
I had known for many years. The last-named, however,
brought me intelligence which it was anything but a
pleasure to hear. When he sold horses and provisions
to Islam Bai at Korla, Islam, he complained, had cheated
him, and he advised me to examine whether I too had not
been robbed. I did not understand what the man meant.
Islam Bai a deceiver ! Islam Bai, who for five years had
been faithful to me unto death, who had shared with me
toil and tribulation, adventure and danger, among the
burning sands of the desert—Islam in whom I had reposed
the utmost confidence, and whom my King had in 1897
rewarded with a gold medal for his fidelity and honesty
—
Islam a thief ? Impossible ! I could not, I would not,
believe it.
Let me be brief and spare both you and myself the
details of this painful episode. Upon investigation I
found that Islam Bai was a thief, that he had in fact stolen
right and left, yet in such a way that there was no trace
of it in my accounts. The people who suffered were
those from whom he bought supplies, for none of them
had been paid the full amount due to him. Islam
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
